Born in New Jersey and raised in Madrid, Spain, Devin Perez has been involved in the restaurant industry for more than fifteen years, garnering experience in various front of house positions. With a degree in hospitality management from Florida International University, Perez began his career with Tony Roma’s Restaurants, where he rose through the ranks after starting as a host, managing every department for the national chain. From there, he went on to Ale House, a privately owned sports bar company with over 60 restaurants on the East Coast before moving to Crave; a Minnesota based company that opened their first South Florida location in Coral Gables, where he served as general manager. In 2016, he joined the Specialty Restaurants family as beverage manager of Rusty Pelican. Witnessing first-hand the wine culture at the upscale waterfront restaurant, his passion for all things wine exploded. In tandem with a revamp of the restaurant’s wine list under the guidance of Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, Perez, along with twelve other Rusty Pelican staff received his Level I Sommelier Certification and is presently studying for Level II.